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SEOUL, South Korea, Saturday, Oct. 27 — President Park Chung Hee, South Korea's ruler for more than 18 years, was fatally shot last night by the chief of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency at a restaurant near the presidential resi- dence, the Government announced early today. It said the death of the President was “the result of an accidental argument” between the agency chief and the Mr. Park's chief bodyguard.

According to the official version, the assailant, Kim Jae Kyu, a lifelong friend of the President and the host at the dinner, opened fire with his pistol during an “emotional outburst.” It was not clear what the argument was about. One bullet struck the 62-year-old President, the Government reported, and the bodyguard and four other persons were also killed. The four were not immediately identified.

More than three hours after the President's death, the Cabinet met in emergency session and named Prime Minister Choi Kyu Hah, an administrator who has held no real political power, as acting President.

Signal to North Korea

Martial law was imposed all over the nation except the southern island of Cheju, and all airports were closed.

The 38,000 United States troops in South Korea were ordered by Washington into an increased state of alert as a signal to North Korea not to attempt military action against South Korea.

The Cabinet named Gen. Chung Seung Hwa, the army chief of staff, as martial law administrator, and he imposed a curfew from 10 P.M. to 4 A.M., decreed press censorship for the first time since 1972, closed all universities and banned all meetings and outdoor demonstrations.

The Government announced that the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Mr. Kim, had been taken into custody for questioning.

It also announced that there would be a national funeral for Mr. Park.

President Park, who came to power after a military coup on May 16, 1961, had previously survived two attempts on his life. In the second attempt, in 1974, a Korean gunman from Japan tried to shoot the President while he and his wife attended a ceremony at the National Theater here to celebrate Korea's liberation from Japanese rule in 1945. The gunman missed Mr. Park but killed his wife.

The earlier attempt came in January 1968 when 31 Communist guerrillas slipped into Seoul and sought unsuccessfully to fight their way into his official residence, the Blue House, to assassinate him.

The President's death followed a series of political protests against his authoritarian rule, including rioting and vast demonstrations by tens of thousands of people in the southern port city of Pusan and the nearby industrial city of Masan. The outbursts there, in which hundreds were arrested, were the worst since student rioting in 1961 led to the ouster of President Syngman Rhee and the beginning of the Park regime.

Opposition Leader Ousted

The recent rioting was apparently touched off by the ouster on Oct. 9 of the leader of the opposition New Democratic Party, Kim Young Sam, a native of Pusan, from Parliament, with only the members of the President's Democratic Republican Party voting in favor. Subsequently all 69 opposition meambers of Parliament resigned.

The sudden death of the President, who for the last seven years has ruled South Korea under a Constitution that he drafted to give himself vast powers, has thrown this nation of 40 million people into political uncertainty. The question being asked here this morning is whether the army will continue to back the present Government if it continues under the highly criticized Constitution of 1972.

There were no immediate signs that Mr. Park's fellow generals had seized power.

The first official announcement of the change in administration came last night with a broadcast saying that the Prime Minister had been named acting President under a section of the Constitution allowing the replacement of the chief of state because of incapacity. Rumors that Mr. Park had been killed swept through the capital, but these were not confirmed until the official announcement made at 8:35 A.M. today [7:35 P.M. Friday, New York time] by Public Information Minister Kim Seong Jin.

Restaurant Within Compound

According to the Government account, the President was shot last evening at the Kungjong Restaurant, which is within a K.C.I.A. compound near the presidential mansion.

Rushed to a military hospital, he was pronounced dead at 7:50 P.M. [6:50 A.M. Friday, New York time]. He reportedly was taken to the hospital by his chief of staff, Kim Kye Won.

The Cabinet met at 11 P.M., and shortly after it was announced that Prime Minister Choi, who has also served as Foreign Minister, would take over.

Seoul was quiet at the time. Some troops were seen around the Government buildings, and there were two tanks near the presidential residence. But, despite the rumors, there were no indications that anything violent had occurred or that any anti‐Government action was in progress,

Before going to the restaurant for dinner, President Park had officiated at a dedication of a dam near Taejon, 100 miles south of Seoul. He returned here by helicopter.

After the news of Mr. Park's death was announced, the national radio began broadcasting dirges, and flags were lowered to half staff. People expressed shock, but the crisis atmosphere that the first rumors had brought seemed to abate somewhat.

Reports from around the country said that the various units of the 600,000-member South Korean Army remained generally calm.

In a special statement to the nation, the 60-year-old acting President appealed for continued calm and order.

Focus on Rioting

Until last night, much of the talk here had been of the significance of the rioting in the southern part of South Korea. For some, the events there seemed to consolidate the authority of President Park as they allowed him to silence the traditionally restive universities by declaring martial law limited to that region. But to others the demonstrations seemed to be working toward strengthening those who were seeking to end his one‐man rule.

The Government early yesterday appeared to feel it had the situation in the south well in hand as it announced the withdrawal most of the troops and tanks it had poured into the area during the height of the demonstrations.

Since the summer, Mr. Park had maintained pressure on the opposition party, but his decision to drive its leader from the virtually powerless National Assembly spurred an American protest and the recall of Ambassador William Gleysteen to Washington.

This was said to be the first time an American ambassador had been recalled in protest under Mr. Park's rule. Some here thought that the key to Mr. Park's continued rule might be in Washington, but that was before the unexpected events at a dinner party given the President by his close friend.

North Korea Reports Death

Special to The New York Times

TOKYO, Saturday, Oct. 27 — In reports monitored here, Pyongyang Radio, the official voice of the Government of North Korea, quoted Seoul radio reports of the assassination of President Park without making any comment.

The New China News Agency, an organ of the Peking Government, carried a twoparagraph story on the killing and also of1 fered no comment.

In Japan, Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira, upon receiving the news of the turnover in Seoul, called Foreign Minister Sunao Sonoda to his office.

Mr. Sonoda conferred with officials in the Foreign Ministry, then went on television to declare that Japan considered the shooting of President Park to be an unplanned incident, not part of a coup.

“The major factors backing my judgment,” Mr. Sonoda said, “were that much time passed between the occurrence of the incident and the proclamation of martial law and that there have been no disturbances as a result of the shooting.”

Business leaders in Tokyo expressed concern over the possible effect on economic relations between South Korea and Japan. But an official of the Japan‐Korea Economic Association, an organization of industrialists and financiers, told reporters that the change in Seoul should not cause any major shift in South Korean policy toward Japan.

Associated Press

Army vehicles guarding Government building in Pusan, South Korea, last Sunday. Martial law was declared Oct. 17 in the city, following rioting by students.